Whilst away, on business, we were taken to the client’s canteen for lunch. Canteens are canteens – never the best food in the world but this one, whilst nowhere near as good as ours is OK, although the food can be a bit odd sometimes.

We walk in and the main course is, what can only be described as, the results of someone having been very very, very ill.  Globby, congealed, pale and, to be frank, quite sickening to look at.

Our hosts showed us how it was done. Next to the grey/light-brown ‘mess’ were some ‘fancy’ pastry cases. You took one or two of these and filled each with the sickening gloop which, I was told was chicken.

But, then I tasted it. I realised it had been some time since I had eaten Chicken and Mushroom Pie where the pie crust was make from flaky pastry. It used to be quite a favourite of mine although we never saw it served like this, of course.

But, to be honest, providing you didn’t really look at what you were eating, it was really nice. Served with peas, which was always the perfect accompaniment!

And then I realised that ‘pies’ of any sort don’t seem to be that common here, it Italy. I mean things like Steak Pie, Steak and Kidney Pie, Chicken Pies, in fact, most pies really don’t exist. Strange, isn’t it?